天博体育

There鈥檚 almost nothing more terrifying for the parents of newborns than sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS: the idea that you could put a perfectly healthy baby down to sleep, only to find him or her dead an hour later, is unspeakably horrible.

I have lost two patients to SIDS, and indeed, it was unspeakably horrible.

There are some simple recommendations that can help parents keep their babies safer 鈥� and yet many parents don鈥檛 follow them. , more than half of the parents studied weren鈥檛 following three of the recommendations. How could that be?

The first part of the problem, I think, is that SIDS is confusing 鈥� not just for parents, but for doctors too. Not every baby who dies in his or her sleep dies for the same reason; there are various different factors and causes. That鈥檚 why we actually use a term that is less well known: . Some of those babies die because they have stopped breathing (in some cases, because their brains didn鈥檛 respond to the usual signals to change position or breathe more), and some of those babies die of suffocation or strangulation from bedding 鈥� or because someone rolled over on them during sleep. We can鈥檛 always tell the difference once the child has died. Because there are various causes, we have various different recommendations 鈥� and that confuses parents.

The other part of the problem is that some of the recommendations seem to go against either previous recommendations or common sleep customs 鈥� and some of them can be hard for some families and some babies. Given that SUID is rare 鈥� it only happens to 鈥� some families feel that it鈥檚 okay to do what Grandma says or what is easiest, instead of following the doctor鈥檚 instructions.

Here are the main recommendations 鈥� and why some families don鈥檛 follow them.

Always put your baby on his back to sleep

The 鈥淏ack to Sleep鈥� recommendation, instituted in 1994, has made a huge impact on the incidence of SUID/SIDS. Sleeping on the back helps in two ways. First of all, it makes it less likely that the baby will smother in the bedding. Second, we know that for some babies, the problem is that their brains haven鈥檛 figured out that when they start to smother, they should turn their heads or their bodies and breathe. It鈥檚 not that they can鈥檛 turn their heads or roll over; it鈥檚 that they don鈥檛.

This recommendation seems straightforward, but I鈥檝e talked to many families who struggle with it because their babies startle themselves awake when they are on the back. On the belly, they snuggle in and sleep just fine. The best advice I can give those families is: keep trying. Over time (which may include some sleepless nights), most babies can learn to sleep on the back.

I鈥檝e also talked to families who worry that the baby might spit up during the night and choke on it if they are on the back. This is actually why the belly position was recommended for years. But it turns out that this is incredibly rare. Some babies have medical conditions that require sleeping on the belly, but parents should only do this if the doctor advises it.

Don鈥檛 put your baby in bed with you

The safest place for a newborn to sleep is in the parents鈥� room 鈥� so that they can be aware of the baby鈥檚 needs 鈥� but in his or her own sleep space, such as a crib (with a firm mattress 鈥� soft ones can lead to smothering). Many families find co-sleeping not just comforting but convenient, as many babies so love being with a parent that they sleep better that way. Again, my advice is to keep trying. Safety is always more important than convenience.

Keep the crib bare

This means no crib bumpers, no pillows, no stuffed animals, and 鈥� the one that is hardest for parents 鈥� no blankets (which means no swaddling, as that involves a blanket). To cut the risk of smothering, Baby should be the only thing in the crib. If it鈥檚 chilly, a blanket sleeper can do the trick. As soft and wonderful as blankets may feel to older children and grownups, they simply aren鈥檛 worth the risk for babies. And overheating can increase the risk of SIDS, too.

Consider using a pacifier

We don鈥檛 know exactly why, but pacifier use lowers the risk of SIDS. It may be that it keeps them at a different, safer level of sleep. Some parents worry about using pacifiers; they feel that it can interfere with breastfeeding or lead to later dental problems. But most babies who use pacifiers don鈥檛 have problems with breastfeeding (especially since pacifiers don鈥檛 produce milk), and there鈥檚 plenty of time to get rid of the pacifier before it causes problems with the teeth.

Don鈥檛 smoke

Exposure to cigarette smoke both before and after birth increases the risk of SIDS. It鈥檚 not good for the smoker, either. But for some parents, quitting smoking can be very hard. For help, call 1-800-QUITNOW or visit .

Parents should talk to their doctor if they have questions or if they are having trouble with the recommendations. We are here to help. Like you, we want to keep your baby safe 鈥� and alive.